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Merton motoring statistics

How many cars and electric cars are registered in Merton, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how Merton compares with London. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.

Last updated
Records analysed
82,845 licensed vehicles in Merton
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 67,824 +0.5% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 293 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 3,384 5.0% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 4.1% 22nd highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 953 436 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 5.6% UK 9.9%

How many cars are there in Merton?

There were 67,824 licensed cars in Merton at the end of March 2026, and 82,845 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 2.4% fewer cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 293 for every 1,000 residents, 24th lowest of 361 councils (UK 441).

Licensed vehicles in Merton

Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.

Licensed cars and vehicles in Merton at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 82,30069,516
2011 82,25969,539
2012 82,60169,608
2013 82,62869,558
2014 84,22570,485
2015 85,14371,039
2016 87,20172,853
2017 90,42173,904
2018 87,97472,202
2019 87,24571,595
2020 85,43269,905
2021 86,21670,468
2022 85,99170,000
2023 84,61469,133
2024 83,25968,219
2025 82,54267,512
2026 82,84567,824

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Licensed vehicles by type

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Cars per 1,000 residents

All licensed cars at the end of June, divided by the ONS mid-year population. Company fleets registered locally push this up.

Cars per 1,000 residents at mid-year, Merton compared
Year MertonLondonUnited Kingdom
2011 349313–
2012 340307–
2013 337303–
2014 336303–
2015 336303473
2016 339304480
2017 338306488
2018 335303490
2019 324301493
2020 320296489
2021 329300493
2022 326295489
2023 319290489
2024 312287490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Merton

66.1% of cars in Merton run on petrol and 12.9% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 31.2% in 2018. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 11.6%, and cars that plug in 9.0%.

Cars by fuel type

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Fuel mix over time

Share of licensed cars at the end of March each year.

Share of licensed cars by fuel type in Merton, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 80.5%18.8%0.4%0.0%0.0%
2011 78.3%20.9%0.6%0.0%0.0%
2012 75.7%23.3%0.7%0.0%0.0%
2013 73.5%25.3%0.9%0.0%0.0%
2014 72.0%26.6%1.1%0.0%0.0%
2015 70.2%28.0%1.5%0.0%0.0%
2016 68.2%29.4%2.0%0.1%0.1%
2017 66.3%30.6%2.4%0.1%0.5%
2018 64.7%31.2%2.8%0.2%1.0%
2019 64.8%30.1%3.4%0.2%1.3%
2020 66.5%27.9%4.2%0.4%0.8%
2021 67.2%26.0%4.8%0.8%1.1%
2022 67.7%23.3%5.7%1.6%1.5%
2023 68.8%19.9%6.8%2.4%1.9%
2024 70.1%15.0%8.6%3.3%2.8%
2025 68.4%13.9%9.9%4.1%3.3%
2026 66.1%12.9%11.6%5.0%4.0%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Merton

3,384 battery electric cars were licensed in Merton at the end of March 2026, 5.0% of all cars, 35th highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 6,106 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 2,777.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 4.1% are battery electric (2,645 cars), 12th highest of 33 councils in London. Companies keep 21.8% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 5.6% of its cars overall. There are also 164 battery electric vans.

Battery electric share of licensed cars

End of March each year. Fleet re-registrations can move a single area’s line sharply.

Battery electric share of licensed cars, Merton compared, end of March each year
Year MertonLondonUnited Kingdom
2016 0.1%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.1%0.2%0.1%
2018 0.2%0.2%0.1%
2019 0.2%0.3%0.2%
2020 0.4%0.5%0.3%
2021 0.8%0.9%0.7%
2022 1.6%1.8%1.3%
2023 2.4%2.9%2.1%
2024 3.3%4.2%3.0%
2025 4.1%5.4%4.1%
2026 5.0%6.6%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Merton

There were 953 public chargers in Merton on 1 July 2026, 39 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 436 for every 100,000 residents, 19th highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 1.5% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 5.3 privately kept plug-in cars in Merton (UK 11.9), 32nd fewest of 361 councils. A higher number means more competition for each public charger, though many drivers charge at home.

Public chargers

Public EV chargers in Merton by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 93939
Apr 2026 93939
Jul 2026 95339

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Merton compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Merton 43618
London 34528
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Merton has 25 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 3.2% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 9.1%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Merton with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Merton 002 2,857 261 9.1% 16.2%
Merton 004 2,613 165 6.3% 10.6%
Merton 010 3,373 210 6.2% 10.9%
Merton 003 2,036 119 5.8% 10.0%
Merton 015 2,905 154 5.3% 9.3%
Merton 001 2,944 145 4.9% 9.3%
Merton 009 2,205 108 4.9% 8.9%
Merton 011 2,572 112 4.4% 7.6%
Merton 006 2,427 104 4.3% 7.0%
Merton 020 3,449 141 4.1% 7.6%
Lowest electric shares
Merton 025 3,581 69 1.9% 4.3%
Merton 008 2,198 53 2.4% 5.8%
Merton 005 2,230 56 2.5% 5.4%
Merton 014 2,906 79 2.7% 5.4%
Merton 007 2,654 72 2.7% 5.5%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026.

Road traffic and collisions in Merton

Vehicles travelled an estimated 407 million miles on roads in Merton in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Merton
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 407
1994 413
1995 410
1996 417
1997 416
1998 418
1999 425
2000 428
2001 435
2002 433
2003 429
2004 432
2005 433
2006 437
2007 439
2008 436
2009 429
2010 421
2011 413
2012 410
2013 407
2014 407
2015 404
2016 412
2017 406
2018 412
2019 420
2020 338
2021 384
2022 395
2023 400
2024 404
2025 407

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Merton, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 44974
2022 41184
2023 43385
2024 39976
2025 42180

Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Merton

Unleaded petrol averages 174.0p a litre across 11 filling stations in Merton, 2.3p above the UK average. Diesel averages 196.9p, 2.3p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Esso MFG Rowan Road Merton 169.9p
  2. Tesco New Malden Extra New Malden 171.9p
  3. Sainsbury's Merton London 171.9p

Every filling station and price in Merton

How Merton compares

Merton compared with London, England, the UK
Merton 293 5.0% 4.1% 5.6% 436 5.3
London 263 6.6% 3.7% 9.4% 345 5.5
England 437 5.8% 2.9% 10.6% 173 12.4
United Kingdom4415.4%2.8%9.9%17511.9

Private cars per 1,000 people use the ONS mid-2024 population. Chargers are counted at the latest date; plug-in cars at the end of March 2026.

Councils in London

Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.

Councils in London
Westminster 178 55.1% 7.6% 57.8% 1,378 1.7
City of London 79 32.0% 7.8% 55.7% 443 2.5
Hammersmith and Fulham 199 18.3% 5.0% 22.2% 1,380 1.4
Camden 158 9.5% 7.5% 12.3% 378 5.3
Kensington and Chelsea 238 7.4% 6.6% 8.0% 637 4.7
Brent 231 7.1% 3.8% 12.5% 367 4.8
Barnet 321 6.4% 5.2% 7.0% 288 9.6
Islington 132 5.9% 4.5% 11.6% 386 3.5
Richmond upon Thames 358 5.4% 4.5% 5.5% 642 4.8
Harrow 335 5.2% 4.0% 6.1% 120 20.9
Hillingdon 361 5.2% 3.2% 15.5% 121 19.8
Merton 293 5.0% 4.1% 5.6% 436 5.3
Southwark 161 5.0% 4.2% 8.1% 618 2.0
Wandsworth 214 5.0% 4.2% 5.0% 532 3.4
Kingston upon Thames 353 4.9% 4.2% 3.9% 242 10.8
Tower Hamlets 127 4.9% 3.6% 10.9% 776 1.6
Ealing 272 4.6% 3.5% 7.5% 264 7.2
Hackney 137 4.5% 3.3% 10.4% 638 1.5
Haringey 213 4.5% 3.5% 8.7% 135 10.7
Lambeth 176 4.4% 3.6% 6.5% 244 5.2
Redbridge 301 4.4% 3.5% 7.1% 198 11.5
Barking and Dagenham 262 4.2% 2.9% 8.4% 100 18.6
Bromley 407 4.2% 3.5% 4.3% 67 39.1
Croydon 316 4.1% 3.3% 5.4% 153 12.9
Hounslow 299 4.1% 3.1% 6.7% 233 8.7
Sutton 377 4.0% 3.3% 4.2% 118 19.8
Greenwich 238 3.9% 3.2% 6.3% 101 14.8
Havering 387 3.6% 2.7% 6.0% 95 23.6
Newham 167 3.6% 2.8% 9.3% 159 7.6
Waltham Forest 250 3.5% 2.7% 7.6% 663 2.1
Enfield 333 3.4% 2.7% 6.8% 137 17.3
Lewisham 232 3.4% 2.9% 5.6% 133 11.4
Bexley 381 3.3% 2.8% 6.2% 269 7.5

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
Licensed vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 82,845 licensed vehicles in Merton 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 7,587 plug-in vehicles 15 September 2026
Public chargers Electric vehicle public charging infrastructure statistics Department for Transport 1 July 2026 121,171 public chargers (UK) 15 September 2026
Population Mid-year population estimates Office for National Statistics Mid-2024 404 areas 15 September 2026
Neighbourhoods Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 35,672 small areas (LSOAs) in England and Wales 15 September 2026
  • Coverage: licensing and charger figures cover the whole UK. Licensing figures in Merton run from the end of 2009.
  • Vehicles are counted at the registered keeper’s postcode: for company cars that is the company’s address, not where the car is driven.
  • Battery electric and plug-in counts come from table VEH0142; petrol, diesel and hybrid counts from VEH0105. “Other fuels” is VEH0105’s other-fuel count less plug-in cars.
  • Charger counts are based on Zapmap data and are official statistics in development. In June 2026 one operator removed about 1,270 private chargers wrongly listed as public, so April and July are not strictly comparable.
  • Neighbourhood figures cover England and Wales only; Scottish data zones and Northern Irish super data zones cannot be placed in councils without lookups we do not hold.
How we calculate these figures All data sources

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.